Enthusiasm was a feeling easily
attributed to the late legend.
Optimistic, brilliant, and capable
of just about anything he set
his mind to, Je;ries had worked
with Structo as the resurgent
company readied a scale
model of his signature design,
supplying photos, sketches, and
anything needed to get the job
done right. And to Dean Je;ries,
getting things done right was
always the only way to roll.

STRUCTO DEAN JEFFRIES “MANTARAY”1: 8 | $2,000It’s not every day that a $2,000 diecast comes along, but we figured out pretty quickly that Structo’s mega-buck, mega-rare 1: 8 replica of Dean Je;ries Mantaray isn’t just any diecast. At least one famous California customizer agrees: from whatwe gathered during an enthusiastic conversation just a couple of weeks before hispassing, Dean Je;ries — the man himself — felt that way, too.

SEA STORY
It’s late 1963, and after making
his mark as a striper and
painter, Edward Dean “Deano”
Je;ries wants to be known for
something more. He knows he
has talent, and no shortage of
ambition. He also knows that
it will take an extraordinary
e;ort to get noticed among
heavyweights like Barris,
Starbird, Cushenberry, and Roth.
So, Je;ries decides to aim high —
the 1964 Grand National Roadster
Show at Oakland, and its
ultimate reward, the Tournament
of Fame. ;e takeaway could
be rich: $10,000 cash, a trip to
Europe, a new car, and
all the new work that
the recognition might
bring.